Installation tool for fence posts

ABSTRACT

An installation tool for a fence post has a body having a front wall, a top wall, and side walls extending from the top wall and a rear wall. A groove is formed in the front wall. A block is positioned within the front wall. The groove extends around the block. The groove has inner walls for accommodating a post of a first dimension. The block has outer walls for accommodating a post of a second dimension, where the first dimension and the second dimension are different from each other.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application claims priority from Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/452,302, filed on Mar. 14, 2011, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

The disclosure is directed to an installation tool which can be used to install fences, in particular fence posts used with vinyl or aluminum fencing.

Existing methods of installing fencing include the use of concrete or gravel and of digging up the surrounding area, which may cause damage to the end user's property or landscaping.

Additionally, multiple trips may be required by the work crew, and extensive clean-up may be required. This results in several days being required to install a fence, which is not time or cost effective.

Another disadvantage with existing fence posts is the laborious technique used to insert and secure the fence post into the ground. Typically, a hole is dug and the post is placed in the hole. Sometimes, concrete is used to hold the post in place. The hole is dug manually or using a digging augur.

The post is dropped into the hole and an operator must backfill the hole once the post has been placed, and compact the loose earth around the post. Alternatively, the post is simply pounded into the ground. This latter technique requires an extremely strong post to be used.

In existing post assemblies, a sledge hammer, shovel or other utensil is used to pound the post into the ground. Sometimes a plastic spacer is placed on the post to absorb the load. A problem with this method is that the post can snap or crack at the point of impact, or the spacer will crack or snap upon impact by a sledgehammer.

A second problem with this method is that it usually is a two man job; one man to pound the post with a sledgehammer and one man to hold the post.

Another problem with the existing method is that the spacer is not fitted properly on the post and may slide or fall off of the post.

With these conventional techniques, should a post become damaged or destroyed, it is difficult, time-consuming, and therefore quite expensive to replace the damaged or destroyed post.

Once the post is installed into the ground, typically a sledgehammer is used to push or pound it into the ground.

Therefore, there is a need for a post assembly which could be more readily driven or pounded into the ground and especially without requiring any digging or excavation of the ground, but which also did not require excessive pounding of the post itself thereby minimizing damage to the post while allowing the post itself to be made of more flexible and thinner material such as a plastic or thin metal.

Thus, there is a need for an efficient method of installing fence posts which overcome the above-mentioned difficulties and others while providing better overall results.

There is also a need to provide a new and improved post setter which overcomes the above-mentioned deficiencies and others while providing improved overall results.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

The disclosure relates to post drivers. More specifically, the disclosure relates to post setter or installation tool for fence posts which is made of high impact material and is snugly fit onto a top end of 4×4 PVC post or a 5×5 post.

The installation tool or post setter is used to drive or pound a fence post into the ground. The tool can be dimensional to accommodate virtually any size post, but in particular 4×4 inches and 5×5 inches wide posts are accommodated. Fence posts are typically made of PVC, but other materials may also be used.

One aspect of the disclosure is a post setter which is fabricated from UHMW (Ultra High Molecular Weight) polyethylene or any other high impact compression load material which can absorb the load from a sledgehammer during pounding of the post into the ground.

In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, an installation tool for a fence post has a body having a front wall, a top wall, side walls extending from the top wall and a rear wall, a groove formed in the front wall, and a block positioned within the front wall, wherein the at least one groove extends around the block, and an inner wall of the groove accommodates a post of a first dimension and the block has outer walls which accommodate a post of a second dimension.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, a method of installing a post into the ground includes the steps of: anchoring a fence post into the ground, providing an installation tool having a recessed block forming centrally therein surrounded a groove; aligning inner walls of the post with outer walls of the block or aligning outer walls of the post with outer edges of the groove; and applying force to an upper surface of the tool to push the post further into the ground thereby securing the post.

Another aspect of the disclosure is a channel formed on an underside of the post setter.

Still another aspect of the post setter is a center block or member onto which a 4×4 post is snugly engaged.

Another aspect of the disclosure is a channel or groove which snugly engages and accommodates a 5×5 post.

Still another aspect of the disclosure is a post settler which does not slide off or fall off of a post.

Another aspect of the disclosure is that that one man can install the post into the ground using the post setter.

Still other aspects of the disclosure will become apparent upon a reading and understanding of the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure may take physical form in certain parts and arrangements of parts, an embodiment of which will be described in detail in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof.

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an installation tool for driving a post into the ground in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the tool of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the tool of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3A is a top plan view of the tool of FIG. 3;

FIG. 3B is a side elevational view of the tool of FIG. 3;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view in cross-section of a tool installed on a 4×4 post and a 5×5 post; and

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view in cross-section of a tool installed on a 4×4 post and a 5×5 post.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

The disclosure relates to post drivers. More specifically, the disclosure relates to post setter or installation tool for fence posts which is made of high impact material and is snugly fit onto a top end of 4 inch by 4 inch (4×4) PVC post or a 5 inch by 5 inch (5×5) post.

The installation tool or post setter is used to drive or pound a fence post into the ground. The tool can be dimensional to accommodate virtually any size post, but in particular 4×4 inches and 5×5 inches wide posts are accommodated. Fence posts are typically made of PVC, but other materials may also be used.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-5, a preferred embodiment of the post setter A is shown. The post setter or tool A has a body 10 which is preferably fabricated from UHMW (ultra high molecular weight) polyethylene, which is a high compression, high load bearing material. However, other high strength, high compression materials can be used without departing from the scope of the disclosure.

Digging or excavation is not necessarily needed, nor is concrete or gravel, to install the post into the ground. Once the post is anchored into the ground in a preferred position, an installation tool is placed onto an upper end of the fence post. The tool can be used with a post regardless of whether concrete or gravel is used to install the post.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 3A and 3B, the installation tool or post setter A has body 10 which has a top wall 12, two opposed side walls 14, 16, a bottom wall 18 and a rear wall 20. A machined or routed channel or groove 22 is formed in a front wall 24. The channel is approximately ¾ inches wide by approximately 1.5 inches deep. Other dimensions for the channel are also contemplated by the disclosure.

Front wall 24 has a width of about ¾″ on opposite sides all around the groove 22. The overall dimension of the front wall of the tool is about 6.5 inches by 6.5 inches. The tool is about 3 inches deep. That is, side walls 14, 16 have dimensions of about 3 inches×6.5 inches.

An inner, center block or wall 26 is formed by the channel and has an outer dimension of about 3.5×3.5 inches. The inner block or wall is centrally positioned and dimensioned such that inner or inside edges 27 of a 4×4 PVC post 30 snugly or closely fit around outer edge or wall 28 of the block or wall 26 (see FIGS. 4, 5). Also, outer edges or walls 32 of the channel are dimensioned such that the outer or outside edges 33 of a 5×5 PVC post 34 snugly or closely fits within the channel adjacent outer wall or edge 32 (see FIGS. 4, 5). That is, the channel 22 and the inner wall or block 26 are dimensioned to provide a close fit with inner edges of the 4×4 posts or outer edges of the 5×5 PVC posts.

Thus, referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the installation tool or post setter A is positioned on a top surfaces of a 4×4 PVC post 30 with inside walls 36 of the 4×4 PVC post nestled around and adjacent the outside walls or edges 28 of the wall or inner block 26 in the center of the channel 22 in the tool.

Alternatively, referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the installation tool or post setter A is positioned on a top surface of a 5×5 PVC post with the outside walls 38 of the 5×5 PVC post nestled between and adjacent the outer walls or edges 32 of the channel.

The tool, which may typically weigh about 4.5 pounds, can be hit or pounded with a sledgehammer or other tool on surface or wall 20 along with the upper end of the 4×4 or 5×5 PVC post. Since the tool is fabricated from high strength compression material, the tool will absorb most of the load and minimize or prevent the post from cracking or splitting or otherwise being damaged from the load due to the pounding.

Advantages of the installation tool are: it requires less time and manpower to use, less cost for equipment and supplies, fewer trips are required to the work site, and it minimizes damage to the customer's grounds and landscaping.

Another advantage of the tool is it allows fence installations to be completed in one day.

Still another advantage of the tool is it prevents damage to the fence post.

Yet another advantage of the system is there is no need for two men to install the fence post.

The exemplary embodiment has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. Obviously, modifications and alterations will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding detailed description. It is intended that the exemplary embodiment be construed as including all such modifications and alterations. 

1. An installation tool for a fence post, comprising: a body having a front wall, a top wall, side walls extending from said top wall and a rear wall; a groove formed in said front wall; a block positioned within said front wall, wherein said groove extends around said block; wherein said groove has inner walls for accommodating an associated post of a first dimension; and said block has outer walls for accommodating an associated post of a second dimension, wherein said first dimension and second dimension are different from each other.
 2. The tool of claim 1, wherein said body side walls have a thickness of about 0.75 inches.
 3. The tool of claim 1, wherein said block has a width of about 3.5 inches.
 4. The tool of claim 1, wherein said groove has a width of about 0.75 inches.
 5. The tool of claim 1, wherein said body is fabricated from ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene.
 6. The tool of claim 1, wherein said block accommodates an associated 4 inch by 4 inch post.
 7. The tool of claim 1, wherein said groove accommodates an associated 5 inch by 5 inch post.
 8. The tool of claim 6, wherein outer edges of said block matingly engage inside walls of an associated 4 inch by 4 inch post.
 9. The tool of claim 7, wherein outer walls of said groove engage outer walls of an associated 5 inch by 5 inch post.
 10. A method of installing a post into the ground, comprising: anchoring a fence post into the ground; providing an installation tool having a recessed block forming centrally therein surrounded by a groove; aligning inner walls of said post with outer walls of said block or aligning outer walls of said post with outer edges of said groove; and applying force to an upper surface of said tool to push said post further into the ground thereby securing the post. 